In my copending application identified above, the underlying PCT application and the prior German application, I have described the principles of an overwater jet massage which utilizes a jet of water trained upwardly from at least one nozzle against the underside of a flexible, e.g. elastic, layer overlying an openwork support and upon which the body of the individual or subject to be massaged can rest in repose.
In that device and method, the openwork support was a screen or grid and the layer was a hood which extended downwardly into a vessel or receptacle disposed beneath the layer and in which, in turn, the nozzle could be arranged.
The nozzle was moveable, e.g. in a two-coordinate system, to sweep the jet beneath the body of the individual in a particular pattern.
Where the jet impinged from below upon the layer, the latter was deformed upwardly and at this point, the deformed layer, lifted by the water jet, would engage the body of the subject like a finger in a massaging action.
Since the water was recirculated from the vessel to the nozzle, the process was entirely sanitary and the water could be reused for massaging a number of subjects. The water never touched the body of the subject.
Furthermore, comparatively small amounts of water could be used, the jet permitted a highly effective massage to be effected, and the nature of the massage was not unlike the type of massage which can be obtained by the fingers of a skilled masseuse.
Contamination of the water did not occur and hence disposal of the water posed no problem and, by contrast with conventional water massage, there was no risk of infection to the subject from reuse of the water or from skim contact between patient and masseuse as is required in manual massage.
Masseurs usually cannot wear impermeable gloves as suggested by the U.S. Center for Disease control (Recommendations for Prevention of HIV Transmission in Health Care Settings, Mass. Med. Soc. 21 August 1987, 36, No. 2S, Page 65, point 1) for contact with nonintact skin on all patients, because there is excessive production of sweat on skin which cannot breathe during heavy exercise. Excessive perspiration plus rubbing will cause skin lesions.
In the above mentioned earlier application, I refer to German Open Application DE-OS No. 2641469, German Open Application DE-OS No. 2601506 and German Patent DE-PS No. 213041 and, since the advantages of the overwater massage over the massage systems of these references is adequately developed in the earlier application that will not be repeated here but will be assumed to be included by reference.
The massage which can be provided by my earlier apparatus is advantageous to improve body tone and to remove or eliminate pain from neck, vertebral column and other back areas of a patient, to stimulate blood flow and prevent necrosis in the case of a bed ridden patient and in general to improve the wellbeing of a patient.
It has all of the advantages of underwater massage with a minimum of effort on the physiotherapist's part.